Pre A1 Starters

Pre A1 Starters Reading and Writing test has five parts. Each part begins with one or two examples. For all parts of the Reading and Writing test, children must spell their answers correctly. Children may achieve a maximum of 5 shields.

Part 1:

• Five pictures of objects. Under each picture there is a sentence which begins ‘This is a …’ or ‘These are …’. If the sentence is correct, children should put a tick next to the picture. If the sentence is not true, they should put a cross.
• 5 questions.

Part 2:

• A big picture and some sentences about it. If the sentence is correct, children should write ‘yes’; if the sentence is not true, they should write ‘no’.
• 5 questions.

Part 3:

• Five pictures of objects. Children have to find the right word in English for the object. After each picture there are some dashes (- – -) to show how many letters are in the word, and some jumbled letters. Children have to put the jumbled letters in the right order to make the word.
• 5 questions.

Part 4:

• A semi-factual text which has some missing words (gaps). Below the text there is a box with some pictures and words. Children have to choose the right word from the box and copy it into each gap.
• 5 questions.

Part 5:

• Three pictures which tell a story. Each picture has one or two questions. Children have to look at the pictures and write the answer to each question. They only have to write one word for each answer.
• 5 questions.

Pre A1 Starters Reading and Writing test has five parts. Each part begins with one or two examples. For all parts of the Reading and Writing test, children must spell their answers correctly. Children may achieve a maximum of 5 shields.

Part 1:

• Five pictures of objects. Under each picture there is a sentence which begins ‘This is a …’ or ‘These are …’. If the sentence is correct, children should put a tick next to the picture. If the sentence is not true, they should put a cross.
• 5 questions.

Part 2:

• A big picture and some sentences about it. If the sentence is correct, children should write ‘yes’; if the sentence is not true, they should write ‘no’.
• 5 questions.

Part 3:

• Five pictures of objects. Children have to find the right word in English for the object. After each picture there are some dashes (- – -) to show how many letters are in the word, and some jumbled letters. Children have to put the jumbled letters in the right order to make the word.
• 5 questions.

Part 4:

• A semi-factual text which has some missing words (gaps). Below the text there is a box with some pictures and words. Children have to choose the right word from the box and copy it into each gap.
• 5 questions.

Part 5:

• Three pictures which tell a story. Each picture has one or two questions. Children have to look at the pictures and write the answer to each question. They only have to write one word for each answer.
• 5 questions.

Pre A1 Starters Speaking test has four parts. Children take the test alone with the examiner, but someone they know who speaks their language (like their teacher) will introduce them to the examiner and explain what to do in their own language. Children may achieve a maximum of 5 shields.

Part 1:

• The examiner will greet the child and ask their name. Then the examiner asks them to point to some things in a big picture. The examiner shows some small pictures of objects. The examiner names three objects and asks the child to point to them. The examiner then asks them to put each object card somewhere on the big picture from Part 1 (for example, ‘Put the shell under the tree’).

Part 2:

• The examiner asks the child some questions about the big picture from Part 1 (for example, ‘What is this?’, ‘What colour is it?’). The child will also be asked by the examiner to ‘Tell me about …’ one of the objects in the big picture.

Part 3:

• The examiner asks the child some questions about the small pictures of objects from Part 2 (for example, ‘What is this?’, ‘Have you got a …?’).

Part 4:

• The examiner asks the child some questions about themselves (for example, age, family, friends).